


Variables

by Mirime



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universes, Canon verse, F/M, One Shot Collection, RivaMika Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-07
Updated: 2015-07-16
Packaged: 2018-04-08 04:01:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4290063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mirime/pseuds/Mirime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of my contributions to the fifth round of RivaMika Week on Tumblr. Various verses and settings.</p><p>A vigilante!AU, a canon verse snippet, a post canon angst, a cosplay!AU, a time travel!AU, another canon verse snippet, fake dating!AU and a post canon snippet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Rooftop Chats

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been binge reading Batman fanfic recently so have this Vigilante!AU. Also, I'm playing really fast and loose with the prompts.
> 
> Prompt: Fruity

"Another long night?"

Levi didn't move. Mikasa had been getting better at sneaking up at him but he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of acknowledging it. Moreover, he was focusing on the warehouse across the street and he couldn't afford to split his attention just because she decided to turn up.

There was a sigh and he saw the white puff of her breath out of a corner of his eye.

"Zaharoff?" she asked again and this time there was no trace of teasing in her voice. Levi considered everything and then handed her his binoculars.

"There's supposed to be a trade off tonight," he explained. "The missing military equipment from the theft last week."

"At least it's not people," she growled and Levi remembered the first time he had seen this woman. He had been tracking down a human trafficking ring and come upon their base of operations just to see that someone else had beaten him to it.

Mikasa had been ruthless. Effective, too. Not one wasted movement as she had punched and kicked her way through a group of thugs. That had been the night that his crush on her (as Isabel insisted on calling it - it was a mere fascination with another fighter of his calibre) had begun.

He started to see her around more often, usually at places of her own choosing. She had refused his offer of joining up (extended that first night) but she showed up often when he was at a stakeout, helping him take down operations too big for one person to handle easily. Smuggling, drug deals, weapon deals, they worked together on all of those and Levi wondered if maybe he should ask again. They knew each other's real names, he had told her about Farlan and Isabel and she had told him about Eren and Armin. They were no longer strangers in masks.

"Do we have an ETA on this?" she asked.

"The buyer's supposed to get here at half-past twelve," Levi told her the info that one of his informers managed to get. She looked down at her watch. It was barely ten. "I wanted to make sure it wasn't a trap," he explained. "The two of us gave Zaharoff enough grief over the past few months, the piece of shit must be frothing at the mouth to get us."

She grinned at that, grimly but with a satisfaction.

"How long until we can move on to take him down?"

Levi considered her question carefully. Almost everything they had done recently was tied to Zaharoff's crime syndicate. There was nothing to indicate their cooperation would end once they took him down and he told himself to stop being an idiot.

"Erwin's nearly ready to proceed with the case," he said, referring to the DA who had been helping him almost since the beginning. "Tonight could be the last nail in Zaharoff's coffin."

"Finally," she breathed out. She handed him the binoculars back and then sat down. He remained standing, at least until she tugged at the edge of his cape. "You don't have to imitate a statue all night long."

"We need to keep watch," he protested but she waved him off.

"I can see just fine from down here. Of course," she added teasingly, "I'm not as short as you."

"You're never letting that one go, are you?" he asked resignedly but sat down next to her regardless. There had been a thug a few months back that had kept poking jokes at Levi's height, or rather lack of it and it hadn't been pretty once Levi was done with him. Mikasa had asked if he had learned to fight just so he could beat up people who made fun of his height and ever since then, she kept making remarks about it, too. It sounded different coming from her, maybe because she only did it when he was being too serious. Or maybe Isabel was right all along but Levi shut down that train of thought immediately.

"Two hours to go," Mikasa remarked some time later. She was firmly wrapped in her own cape to ward off the cold. "I hate the waiting part."

Levi nodded in agreement. The waiting was the worst. There was a rustle of cloth and he looked sideways to see Mikasa fumbling with a cylindrical container that was attached to her belt. When she unscrewed the cap, he realized it was a thermos and he couldn't stop his smirk. She noticed immediately.

"What?" she asked defensively as she poured the liquid from the thermos into the cap. Levi thought he detected a scent of strawberries.

"This isn't a field trip," he said and she scowled at him.

"It's cold and it's a hot tea and if you say another word, I won't share."

With that, she thrust the cap towards him. A few drops splashed out.

"Drink up. Maybe it will thaw out the stick you have up your ass."

He snorted at that and accepted the offered drink.

"Unlikely to happen," he told her and took a sip. He had been right earlier, it was a strawberry flavoured tea. "But thanks."

"No problem."

He passed the empty cap back to her and she refilled it for herself. He was tempted to make a comment about sharing and germs but wasn't sure how she would react to that and so he went back to watching the warehouse.

A little less than two hours later, an off-white van pulled up to the front door of the warehouse and Mikasa looked up in anticipation.

"Are we doing the usual?" she asked as she stood up and stretched and Levi allowed himself a second to watch her before he did the same.

"We are," he confirmed and with a swish of their capes, they swooped down on their prey. It was going to be a good night for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basil Zaharoff was one of the most prominent weapon dealers at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. I always wanted to use his name for a villain in one of my fics. Also, any of my fics are open to further prompts. Just let me know what you'd like to read. My tumblr blog can be found at [Obsessed with the Ackermans](http://mirime-kisarrastine.tumblr.com).


	2. Caring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a sequel to [Chimerical](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3894013/chapters/9612333), from my other one-shot collection. Dedicated to [alienheartattack/Sanneke](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Sanneke/pseuds/alienheartattack) who asked for the continuation first. There will be at least one other story in this verse, for day 6.
> 
> On another note, I loved writing Mikasa in this one.
> 
> Prompt: Spicy

Mikasa didn't find herself in embarrassing situations often. She had a reputation for being level-headed and calm most of the time. She would lose her temper or have an angry outburst sometimes but there were usually some mitigating circumstances - a threat to someone she held dear being the most common one.

The incident that morning was different. Yes, maybe she had been still half-asleep and yes, maybe she had still been under the influence of her frequent dreams. But that didn't excuse what she had done.

It had been a small gesture, certainly nothing like what had transpired in her dreams. But it had still been too intimate. She had retied Captain Levi's cravat because it had been wrinkled. He would have probably done it himself even before breakfast. It hadn't been her place to do it. And yet she had done it. Because she had acted on an impulse. Because she hadn't controlled herself.

Even though there was no one around to see her - she had volunteered for tidying up the storage shed to make more space for the winter supplies - Mikasa still pulled up her scarf to mask the blush she felt spreading across her face.

It wasn't that she hated Levi. If she was honest with herself, she would even admit to liking him. Just a little bit. As a valuable comrade whom she respected and trusted. Whom she couldn't even look in the eye during the communal breakfast.

She wondered if she should apologize. She had broken a certain boundary, after all. He probably hadn't appreciated the liberties she took with him. They weren't in a position where such a casual contact was okay. She had had no right to act that way with him.

Mikasa pushed the last crate to the back of the shed and looked around. She hadn't noticed, preoccupied with her thoughts as she had been, but she had already moved all the empty crates away from the centre. The next shipment of supplies would only arrive later in the afternoon. She should probably go and find something else to do but she didn't want to risk running into Captain Levi and so she sat down on one of the crates instead.

She wondered if Levi, too, felt as confused as she did. He had certainly looked as surprised as she had been at her actions. She had left before he could have said anything, though, and now she was stuck thinking about it.

The best thing to do would be to seek an advice from someone else but that would require explanations Mikasa wasn't prepared to give herself, nevermind anyone else. She would have to explain about her dreams and how could she explain something she still didn't understand after more than a month of thinking.

Dreaming about kissing someone was supposed to be normal but with how complicated her relationship with Levi was, it was anything but that. Why couldn't she dream of kissing Eren or Armin or Sasha? There had been no memories of past hostility colouring those relationships, no violent fantasies of beating them up.

Mikasa drew up her knees and buried her face into them. She wished she could stay there for the rest of the day but knew that wasn't possible. She had duties to fulfill. She would allow herself another fifteen minutes of wallowing and then she would walk out and pretend everything was alright. She would apologize to Captain Levi for her inappropriate actions, too and-

As if summoned by her thoughts, the door to the shed swang open and the man himself walked in. Mikasa straightened up immediately. Levi blinked a couple of times to let his eyes adjust to the dimmer light inside. He carried two cups with a steam rising from them and he handed one to her wordlessly. She accepted it automatically, her nose filling with a sharp spicy scent she recognized as a cinnamon.

"Thank you?" She hadn't meant it to come out as a question but it had.

"It's cold and you've been here since the morning," he explained, leaning against her crate and taking a sip from his own cup. "Are you that bothered about earlier?"

"Yes," she said, matching his matter-of-fact tone. This was her opportunity to apologize and get it over with. "I was out of line and-"

"Mikasa," he interrupted her. "You were just being you."

She wanted to tell him off for interrupting her but his words rendered her speechless. He glanced at her before looking down at his cup.

"You care for people without even realizing you're doing it. Making sure that Eren eats well. Covering Armin with a blanket after he falls asleep above the plans. Taking over Jean's cleaning duty two weeks ago when he hurt his hand. That was actually something I was grateful for, too. That guy can't dust properly to save his life," Levi said that last part in a grumble and Mikasa quickly took a sip of the hot tea to hide her smile. "You do things like that without thinking. It's who you are."

It wasn't that simple. Not when her dreams were taken into account. But Levi didn't know that. All he saw was her tendency to mother people. The question was whether she would leave him under that assumption.

"You're different from the others, though," she pointed out and looked at him. Their eyes met and for a brief moment there was a surge of a potential. She could put away her cup and take his cravat and pulled him for a kiss, the very same thing she had done in her dreams so many times. She could but she didn't. It would complicate things and it was better to leave them simple. "They're not my superior officers," she concluded and looked away.

"No, they aren't," he agreed with her. "I don't really mind but since you do, how about this? You tied my cravat and I brought you tea so we'll call it even."

Mikasa nodded. Levi had apparently decided to treat this as no big deal and she would follow his lead. It was for the best. She could deal with her dreams on her own. And if the fact that he had noticed how upset she had been and then had gone out of his way to seek her out to offer his own form of comfort fuelled those dreams even more, well, she would find a way to deal with it, too.

"Yes, we're even."


	3. Midnight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short and angsty.
> 
> Prompt: Char

She found him in the kitchen as always. Neither of them could sleep well when the year came round to this particular time and it was a matter of when, not if, one of them would wake up and make their way to the kitchen to make tea for when the other would follow.

He had already prepared the tea and she poured herself a cup, sitting down across from him. They had a routine in place for these nights. They talked very little and never about that. The tea always tasted bad, having been left to steep for too long. Eventually, one of them would move closer to the other until their hands or legs touched and they remained that way until the morning.

Maybe it was wrong to still grieve so much after so many years.

Maybe they should do as the others did and move on, letting the wounds close.

_Maybe_ was such an useless notion to them. _Maybe_ was just a step above a _what if_.

What if they had done more? What if they had tried harder, moved faster, made different choices? What if?

_What-ifs_ and _maybes_ didn’t change the most important fact.

What good was all the strength in the world when you failed to protect those you cared about?

Because that was what no one else would understand. What no one else could understand. This was their penance.

This week or so when they let the burden of their failures fall on them fully.

They couldn't forget. They wouldn't let each other forget. It was one of the many things that kept them together. The awareness of just how human and imperfect they could be. The awareness of how much being human and imperfect had cost them.

They wanted the reminders. These few nights, the heavy silences, the badly tasting tea, the timid touches, those were all parts of who they were. They shouldered their failures together and it became easier to bear them.

And even the tea tasted less like tar when they drank it from each other's lips.


	4. Conditioning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A modern!AU based on one of my headcanons. Also because it's that time of the year when cons are abundant and because certain series premiered last weekend in Japan.
> 
> Prompt: Sweet

"Tell me again, how did you talk me into this?" Levi asked, tugging at the stretchy fabric he was forced to wear while Mikasa fussed over his hair.

"I told you it would make me happy and since you love me..." She let the sentence trail off.

"A fact I'm questioning every day."

"Yes, well, it's too late now. You promised to do this for me and I'm not letting you back out."

He was about to turn around but she tugged at his hair.

"Stay still or I'll never get the wig to fit right."

"Is the wig necessary?"

"You wouldn't let me style your own hair."

She had an answer to everything, didn't she. It wasn't like Levi was really that set against the wig, or the costume itself. It was just... Mikasa was usually hard to fluster. She had that calm air around her most of the time and to see her flush with annoyance... It was still early enough in their relationship that Levi found everything she did endearing. Not that he would be telling her that.

"There," she said with a quiet triumph as she secured the last pin. "All done."

Levi shook his head cautiously. The wig was slightly uncomfortable but that had probably more to do with the fact that he wasn't used to the extra weight. It seemed to hold in place just fine, though, so at least he wouldn't suffer a costume malfunction.

Mikasa nudged him out of the way as she went about pinning her own wig into place. The bright aquamarine was eye-catching, as was her tight minidress. Maybe the whole hassle was worth it just to see her dressed like that.

"Are you staring at my legs?"

"I'm getting into character."

"Out of character, you mean."

"I'm not the one who has a whole series of meta on a subject of subtextual and textual sexual tension between the two in the manga and anime."

Mikasa glared at him. He smirked back and just to aggravate her even more, he crossed his arms.

"Yeah, well, you didn't have to read them."

"I found it quite interesting, actually," Levi countered calmly. "A solitary man with a difficult life who meets a woman who can match and even challenge him, takes none of his shit and shows him there is more to life than he ever knew... Are you surprised I liked it?"

The glare disappeared and a gentler look took its place. She stood up and walked over to him, winding her arms around his neck.

"Are you still talking about Bulma and Vegeta?" she whispered.

"No," he replied equally quietly and then they were kissing which was a surprisingly unexpected side effect of his little speech. But just as the things started to get good - the dress was really short and easy to slide up - Mikasa stepped away and started fixing her dress.

"Later, okay? We're already late as it is."

Levi knew when he was beaten. Mikasa had gone to a lot of effort with their costumes and the least he could do was grin and bear it. At least he could get away with scowling by claiming he was in character.


	5. Currents

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is a fragment (cca 1700 words) of a much bigger piece. Maybe one day, after the manga is over, I'll tackle it. For now, enjoy this part. There are mentions of violence, on par with the canon.
> 
> Prompt: Nutty

"We cannot be sure it'll work."

"We know."

"The risks you face are impossible to predict."

"We know."

"We're asking a lot from you..."

A long beat of silence and then...

"Is there any other choice?"

"The meeting place is Shiganshina District, the first Saturday of October. Make sure you both make it."

* * *

The rain beat hard on Levi's head. There was a loud noise to the left and his head turned automatically towards the sound.

"That was a noise round!" Farlan shouted over the sharp staccato of rain. "It could be someone from our squad. It looks like it's not far off. We can probably catch up with everyone, but- Levi?"

Farlan and Isabel both looked to him to make the decision. The last time he had been here, the last time he had made the choice, it had been a wrong one and cost him too much. He was smarter now, better informed and if it was cheating to use his knowledge of things to come then he would cheat.

"Change of plans!" he stated loudly, for his own benefit as well as theirs. "We're going to help out the rest of the squad, wait for this damn rain to pass."

"But the documents-"

"We're giving up on that."

"What?"

"We're already on the surface, with a citizenship granted by military. We don't need Lobov. I'll make another deal with Erwin, make sure you two can walk away-"

"Bro!" Isabel brought her horse closer to his. "You want to help the Survey Corps?"

"They need all the help they can get."

He wasn't sure why both of them were smiling. There was a curious look in Farlan's eyes, probably questioning what had brought on this change of heart but he wasn't asking anything.

"It'll be nice to be heroes for once," was all he said. "And we're not walking away, Levi. If you're staying, so are we."

Levi wanted to protest, point out the dangers and get them as far away as possible, for their own sake. But it wasn't his choice to make, it was theirs. Besides, he would be with them this time. He would make sure they were protected.

"Let's go."

* * *

The sharp prick in the skin of her right forearm made Mikasa let out a pained protest.

"You're holding up well, Mikasa," her mother soothed her as she bandaged her forearm. "This brand must be passed down from generation to generation in our family. When you have a child, you'll bequeath it to him or her."

Mikasa remembered how this conversation had gone the first time. She was supposed to ask about child making and her parents would awkwardly avoid the subject until there came a knock on the door. Her father would open it and Mikasa's entire world would come crashing down. Not this time.

Last time, she had been a helpless child, unaware of her own capabilities. This time, her body was still the same but the mind was not. She knew about her power now, she knew it was possible to become strong even with this childish body of hers.

"Yes, mom, I will."

She focused on her body. She didn't have much time but she was Mikasa Ackerman. She had been entrusted with so much and how could she face anyone if she failed right from the beginning?

The knock on the door jolted her, the sight of her father moving towards his death bringing up the surge of desperation that was so familiar to her.

"Dad, no!" she shouted and bolted out of her chair. She reached one hand blindly, grabbing a scalpel from the tools her mother had laid out. She used the table to vault herself over towards her father, landing next to him.

"Mikasa?"

"Don't open the door, please!"

Another knock came, a more impatient one and her father made to move past her. Mikasa didn't think, she just reacted. She grabbed the door handle and yank it open, angling her body to pass beneath the reach of the man standing there. For a moment, everything was frozen.

Then the man gurgled and Mikasa let go of the scalpel she rammed into his stomach. She took hold of the knife the man had been holding, wrenching it easily out of his slack grasp. As the man crumbled down, his hands pressing against the widening wound of his torso, Mikasa calmly stepped over him.

She wouldn't lose her family again, no matter what it took to protect them. She had so much blood on her hands already, at least this time it would belong to people who really deserved it.

* * *

The things were different from that first time. Farlan and Isabel were safe and sound. Erwin was slightly suspicious, considering the way Levi had changed the script on him but as he had gotten what he had wanted - Levi's strength for the Survey Corps - he couldn't exactly complain.

The autumn was coming up and Levi asked for leave for the end of the first week of October. He hoped Mikasa had been as successful as him in rewriting her personal history. He needed her to be at her best, considering how the harder part of their mission was about to begin.

The Saturday was a busy day for the town of Shiganshina. Farmers from the homesteads and villages further in the Maria territory came to town to buy and sell and the press of people on all sides made it hard to find anyone.

"Wow!" Isabel was taking everything in with a childish delight. She was running from one stall to another, tasting everything she could. Sometimes, when he closed his eyes, Levi could still see her severed head and wide open eyes but those images were slowly getting replaced with different ones.

"Here, Farlan, Levi-bro, taste this!"

She pushed two paper bags at them. They were warm and Levi peered into his to see it was full of nuts of some kind.

"Roasted chestnuts," Isabel explained as she popped one into her mouth from her own bag. "They're delicious."

Levi was about to taste one when someone bumped into him from behind. He turned around to chastise whoever it was but his words got stuck in his throat. He stared down and she stared back and for a moment he thought that something had gone wrong and she didn't remember. And then she smiled a bit.

"You're taller than me now."

"And you're still a gloomy, disrespectful brat."

"Hey, Mikasa! Where did you run off?" The voice was higher but still recognizable as Eren's. Mikasa waved him over but he stopped at the sight of the unknown people she was standing with. "Who are they?"

"Yes, Levi. Why don't you introduce us?" Farlan was smart. He knew there had been more to Levi's change of heart then he was telling them. He hadn't pried into what it was but that was probably about to change.

"Farlan, Isabel, this is Mikasa and her friend-" Levi made himself stop because there was no good reason for him to know Eren's name. They should have probably come up with a cover story before coming back but it was too late for that and now they had to improvise. Luckily for them both, they still made a good team.

"Eren. His name is Eren," Mikasa took over the introductions. "Eren, these are Farlan and Isabel and this is Levi. Levi is my cousin from the Central."

For a moment, even Levi stared at her audacity. They had never found out the exact nature of their family ties so they settled for the general description of cousins.

"Levi-bro, I didn-" Isabel started to say something but Farlan casually squeezed her arm, cutting her off.

"We're going to let you two catch up, okay, Levi? But don't take too long, we need to get back to the base before the curfew."

"The base?" Eren asked.

"We're with the Survey Corps," Levi told him and Eren's eyes literally lit up.

"Really? You guys are heroes!"

Levi and Mikasa exchanged painful glances. If only he knew what being a hero entailed. If only he knew what being the humanity's hope was going to cost him.

"Eren, was it?" Farlan asked. "Why don't you come with us and ask whatever you want while Levi and Mikasa talk?"

"Is that okay with you, Mikasa?" He was already moving to follow the two, though, and Mikasa just smiled.

"Sure. I'll come and find you later."

They were left alone at last and for a moment neither knew what to say.

"They were the ones you lost?" she asked at last.

"Yes. I managed to save them this time. Your parents?"

"I saved them, too."

They moved towards a small park and sat down on a bench. Levi was still holding the bag of roasted chestnuts that Isabel had given him and he set it down between them. Mikasa looked at it and then she took one out, eating it.

"These are good," she commented and he took one, too.

"Yeah, they are."

They each took out another piece.

"What's the plan?" she asked.

"We tell some people what we know. Erwin and Hange and we should talk to Dr. Yeager, too."

"I won't be able to participate in any missions, though," Mikasa pointed out. "I'm stronger than an ordinary nine-year old but that doesn't mean much."

"We'll find a way around that."

"How much are we going to change?"

"Everything we can. By the time they arrive, we'll be ready for them."

"Can you-" she paused but then she took a deep breath and plunged ahead. "Can you tell me everything will work out just fine?"

He shouldn't because even with everything they knew, there was still the chance of things going badly. If he told her everything was going to be fine, he would be lying. But it was Mikasa who was asking him.

"Mikasa, everything will work out just fine."

She looked down at her hands and then she looked up at him, her twenty-year old self reflected for a moment in the much younger face.

"I believe you, Levi."

He could only hope he wouldn't disappoint her faith in him.


	6. Epiphany

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yet another continuation from Chimerical (ch 4 of Logos) and Caring (ch 2 of Variables). I'm really fond of this verse :)
> 
> Prompt: Floral

Things were supposed to go back to normal but it was easier said than done. Coming to a verbal agreement that nothing important had happened didn't make it so. Things were supposed to go back to normal, or rather what passed for normal, but they didn't.

A formality had never been the issue for Mikasa. She had been respectful enough to her superiors, although she had also had far more leeway than an ordinary soldier would have, all due to her skills. Captain Levi had been the only one to really set her off and even after coming to trust his leadership, her behaviour around him was considerably informal.

Not anymore. It was all good and fine to agree that nothing out of ordinary had happened, that her lapse in judgment had been nothing but a display of her nurturing side. Mikasa knew that hadn't been the case at all and it made dealing with the Captain difficult for her. His presence with the squad was still sporadic at best so it wasn't an issue yet. In a few weeks time, though, the operation to reclaim Wall Maria and reach the Yeager's basement in Shiganshina would start and she needed to sort herself out by then. Not only for the peace of her mind but for the sake of the others as well.

She and Captain worked well together, that was a proven fact. While she wasn't arrogant enough to think the success of the mission hinged on the two of them, she knew they would still have a large influence on how it turned out. She simply couldn't afford to be emotionally compromised.

It was really simple. Dealing with it on her own hadn't worked. She needed another point of view and there was really only one person who knew her well enough and whom she trusted enough to share her troubles.

* * *

"What was it you wanted to talk about?" Armin had learned a long time ago to never assume things when it came to Mikasa. She had been withdrawn lately, something obviously bothering her. Sasha had mentioned Mikasa's sleeping problems, too. It would be easy to jump to the same conclusion as the others had, to chalk up her behaviour to her worry about Eren but Armin knew better.

Mikasa worried about Eren, true. She had been worrying about him for years now. And she channeled that worry into taking care of him, as usual. No, whatever or whoever was on Mikasa's mind, it wasn't Eren.

"I..." she started to say but then paused, her fingers twirling nervously around one end of her scarf. "It's a personal problem."

Armin nodded and waited for her to explain. It was better to let people speak. Sometimes, just the act of putting their thoughts into words helped them understand things better.

"It's about Captain Levi," she spoke slowly. Armin frowned a bit. Captain and Mikasa had no longer had the strained relationship of those first few weeks, at least that was what he had thought. Although, now that he thought back to the recent week or so, Mikasa seemed to be avoiding the man for some reason.

"Did you two have an argument?"

"No," she said, almost hesitantly adding. "He brought me a tea once."

That was not what Armin had expected to hear.

"And that is not good?"

"No, he did it because I did something stupid."

Armin tried to remember the last time Mikasa did something that could be classified as stupid. She made mistakes like everyone, but she learned from them, too.

"What was it?"

"I retied his cravat because it was wrinkled."

Armin blinked and then again. He had known Mikasa for years. She was one of his best friends. She was also so good at everything that sometimes it was easy to forget she was a human being with faults of her own. Still, blowing a simple thing like that out of proportion, well, that was unlike her.

"That's not that awful. Maybe a bit too personal but-" Armin stopped himself. Mikasa was looking everywhere but at him. "What did the Captain say? He wasn't angry with you, was he?"

"No," she admitted. "He said it was just me taking care of people like usual."

"But it wasn't," Armin stated with certainty. "It was different because it was him."

"I told him it was inappropriate because he was my superior officer but I lied."

"Mikasa," Armin started slowly, unsure if he should bring up his conclusion but Mikasa had asked for his advice so advise he would. "Do you like him? In a more than a friend or a colleague way?"

The play of emotions on Mikasa's face was an answer enough.

"Yes, I think so."

And with that admission, something in Mikasa seemed to change.

"I like him. I didn't want to, I have no idea how it happened, but I do."

"It's certainly unexpected," Armin agreed. "Not entirely surprising, though," he added thoughfully. "You had that tension between the two of you almost from the beginning. You are similar enough that you irritate each other with your worst shared traits but then you are also well matched in other areas. Huh. Who would have thought, though, that it could become like this."

A stony silence greeted his conclusion and Armin chuckled sheepishly.

"Sorry, Mikasa."

"What do I do?" she asked. "I can't avoid him forever but I still feel awkward around him."

"Maybe you felt awkward because you were lying to yourself about your feelings," he suggested. "Now that you admitted them, you can deal with them."

"Maybe," she agreed. "It's just... letting it go is for the best, I know that. It's not like the feelings are mutual. And this is no time for anything like that, either," she said determinedly. "You're right, Armin. I can push my feelings back, now that I recognize them."

You shouldn't, he almost said. But Mikasa was right in a way. This was not the right time or place for romance, for any of them. If or when they survived, maybe then. And it could be interesting to watch it happen. Armin was observant and he wasn't convinced that Mikasa's feelings were as one-sided as she thought. The Captain's treatment of Mikasa had always differed from his treatment of others. But it was not Armin's place to say anything. Not here and now when Mikasa was getting back her equilibrium.

One day, maybe he would say something. If those feelings lasted - as repressed feelings often did - then he could suggest that Mikasa got it out of her system. Or he would hint to the Captain that Mikasa's favourite flowers were violets.

But those possibilities were for the future. The present called for him to be a friend, not a matchmaker.

"The Captain and Eren are supposed to be back tonight," he told her. "You can consider the dinner a trial run at acting normal around him again."

"Thank you, Armin. For everything."

"Anytime, Mikasa."

* * *

When Eren and Captain Levi walked into the mess hall later that night, Mikasa forced herself to look at him and she even nodded a greeting to him when they sat down. It was still difficult, a part of her wanted to look away but she reined that part in.

She liked him. It was something that had happened without her say-so and it had caught her off-guard. And maybe she had reacted more poorly to it than was necessary. No matter. She acknowledged it to herself and now she could move past that to focus on the more immediate problems. And if one day things changed, well, tomorrow could take care of itself. She had today to worry about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 8 (ch 8 of this collection) is for now a conclusion to the whole thing. I'll post it in two days' time. Or you can find it on my tumblr - [Obsessed with the Ackermans](http://mirime-kisarrastine.tumblr.com).


	7. Desperate Times

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The scenario in this fic is one of my favourite tropes. Post-canon and optimistic in regards to the survival rate of the characters.
> 
> Prompt: Vegetal

"I need a favour."

One thing Levi had always appreciated about Mikasa as a subordinate was that she never wasted time on small talk. When she wanted to say something, she did so.

"What kind of a favour?"

"There is a formal dinner next week that I have to attend and I need you to come with me and pretend we're in a relationship."

Levi didn't choke on his tea but it was a close call. Mikasa took a calm sip of her own drink and waited for his reply. It was clear it wasn't a joke. She was serious about this.

"Why would that be necessary?" he asked finally. What he really wanted to know was why him but he suspected she would tell him without prompting.

"The dinner is for our sponsors, current and potential both," she explained. "One of the current sponsors is... taken with me," she continued, her eyes flashing angrily. "He doesn't accept that I'm not interested and I cannot afford to punch him out because he contributes a lot to us."

Levi nodded, familiar with the background politics of sponsoring expeditions and how it was dangerous to anger those willing to provide the necessary money. It was even worse nowadays because in the old days, the crown had shouldered a portion of the cost. With the intense rebuilding going on after all the fighting, the expeditions had to be financed entirely from the private sources.

"That's a shitty situation," he said and Mikasa sighed.

"I know. I'm not even sure coming with someone else would put him off but I have to try the non-violent solution first. We discovered an old road last time, paved with some strange material and we want to see where it leads. That's at least two months out there and we need all the money we can get."

It hadn't been surprising that after the dust had settled - literally - Eren, Armin and Mikasa had taken off the first chance they had gotten. There had been other people interested in the outside world and the Survey Corps had retained its role as the exploratory branch of the military. The financing of expeditions and the lack of Titans to fight were the only differences to before.

Four years later, a lot had been rediscovered from the time before the Walls had gone up but there was more out there. It was a big world, bigger than they could have ever imagined.

"This is really important to you," Levi said. Mikasa nodded and seemed to deliberate about something.

"It's going to be my last expedition. Even Eren and Armin don't know yet," she said, looking down at her hands. "I liked seeing the world, the deserts, the ocean but I don't want to do that for the rest of my life. I want everything to go well because after that, I'm leaving the Corps."

"Do you have any plans for after?"

She nodded, smiling.

"I'm going to rebuild my old house and live there."

It sounded nice. Quiet and calm, almost like his own life nowadays.

"But first you need to finish things."

"Yes, I do. So are you going to help me?"

"Why would you pick me?"

She obviously expected the question because she listed the points without hesitation.

"I need someone who has known me for a while but hasn't been seen with me often and who isn't taken."

"I'm not really the type to be affectionate in public."

"Neiher am I."

They regarded each other for a moment and then Mikasa offered her hand for shaking. The deal was struck.

* * *

It didn't differ from all those dinners years earlier when Levi's position as the strongest soldier in Survey Corps had been enough of a draw to the bored and the wealthy and Erwin had made him attend a lot of them.

The room was nice, with big windows and high ceiling, with tables set up along the walls and the centre left free for eventual dancing. There had already been a lot of people milling around when Levi and Mikasa arrived. Eren and Armin stood close to the entrance and they made straight for Mikasa, only to come to a sudden stop when they noticed Levi.

"They don't know, do they?" he whispered to her and she shook her head.

"I didn't want to tell them about Schneider."

Levi could well imagine the young men's reaction to that news. Armin would probably hold himself back for the same reasons as Mikasa but Eren wouldn't.

"Are you okay with lying to them?"

"It's just for a short time."

"Captain, what are you doing here?" Eren blurted out as soon as they got close enough to talk.

"For the last time, Eren, I've been retired for years, so it's just Levi now," Levi said, nodding to Armin. "And I'm escorting Mikasa, if you haven't noticed."

"But why?"

Mikasa cut in at that point, a slight blush spreading across her face. A shame at lying to her best friends no doubt, but easy to misconstrue as something else.

"I've been keeping something from you. Levi and I, we're together."

It wasn't the best moment for any of them. Eren just stared. Armin looked from Mikasa to Levi to where Mikasa's arm was hooked through Levi's and back to their faces. Mikasa fidgeted slightly, her fingers digging into Levi's arm, waiting for the reaction.

"Well, congratulations then," Armin said at last. "I'm happy for both of you."

That seemed to shake Eren from his stupor and he narrowed his eyes at the two of them.

"I knew something was going on, with how often you visited him but no one believed me."

"It wasn't that often," Mikasa protested half-heartedly but Levi was startled to realize that Eren was actually right. All the members of his former squad had visited him a few times but Mikasa's visits had been the most frequent. She had kept bringing him plants to try out for teas, ranging from relatively normal to unusual to downright strange. And she would stay until he tried them out and helped him taste the sometimes delicious and sometimes disgusting results.

"It's not important how often Mikasa stopped by," Levi said. "It was a private matter between the two of us."

Eren then did the same thing as Armin - looked from Mikasa to Levi to their linked arms to their faces again - and grinned.

"Congratulations. I guess it's a good thing neither of you will have to change the last name."

That was quite an assumption to make. Mikasa's blush was of embarrassment this time and even Levi felt his cheeks warming up. It was one thing to pretend to be in a relationship. It was quite another when the people who were supposed to know you thought it would lead to marriage. Although, on second thought, both he and Mikasa were the types to be serious about their partners. So maybe it wasn't such an unreasonable assumption at all.

"It's not like that," Mikasa tried to explain but she couldn't, not without giving away the whole thing. The rescue came from the unlikely corner.

"If that isn't the lovely Squad Leader Ackerman."

The man who spoke was familiar to Levi from years back. He had never bothered learning his name but from the way Mikasa tensed beside him, he guessed this was Derek Schneider. Years ago, it had been his father who had been giving money to Survey Corps. The old man had been okay, as far as Levi had been concerned, mostly because he had only talked to Erwin, not bothering Levi with stupid comments.

"Mr. Schneider, good evening."

Mikasa had always held up admirably under pressure. She let the man kiss her hand but snatched it back as soon as she could. Schneider smiled tightly at Eren and Armin and then he looked at Levi, his eyes widening in recognition. Good.

"Long time no see. How's your father these days?" Levi asked.

"His health is not the best so I took over some of the more taxing aspects of his work."

"Taxing, huh?" Levi asked as he looked around them. "I'm sure events like this can get... taxing."

In his peripheral vision he saw Mikasa bite her lip, the way she sometimes did when she didn't want to show her amusement.

"Captain Levi, err, what are you doing here?"

Levi didn't bother correcting him on his title.

"I'm escorting Mikasa, obviously."

His tone made it clear just what he thought of a question like that. Schneider flushed.

"Then I would like to ask your permission to dance with the Squad Leader later."

Levi saw Eren start forward but Armin held him back. It was an incensing comment and it was no wonder Mikasa couldn't stand the guy.

"No."

"You're not permitting it?"

"No, you shouldn't be asking me, shit-for-brains," Levi snapped. "What Mikasa does or doesn't do is up to her. I'm not her keeper."

"Just her fiancé," Armin put in as he insinuated himself between the three of them. "We were just about to celebrate, so if you excuse us..."

They left Schneider behind and walked away, Armin and Eren arguing about Armin keeping Eren from beating up the guy. Mikasa leaned closer to Levi.

"Thanks for that."

"That's why I'm here."

"I know. I just wish I could do more to him."

"Maybe you could," Levi said, trying to recall something he had heard Schneider's father say once.

"We need his money."

"It's not his money," he told her with a smirk. "I remember his father saying once that his son would only get the control over the money after his death, not earlier. If you were getting funds from their company, it's because of the father, not the son."

Mikasa looked over her shoulder with a calculating look on her face.

"Left one," Levi said.

"What?"

"Use your left fist when punching him. He might not survive a punch from your right fist."

"A good point," she remarked. She let go of his arm and smoothed down her dress. "Excuse me. There's something I need to do that's long overdue."

Levi wouldn't admit it to anyone but Mikasa stalking up to Schneider, grabbing his shoulder to twist him around and then sending him to the ground with a beautifully executed left hook was an exhilarating sight. She was glorious and unlike in other battles he had seen her fight, he could enjoy this one without a guilt.

And when she turned around and sent him a smile, he couldn't help but smile back.

* * *

"I need a favour."

Mikasa looked at him with a suspicious look.

"What kind of a favour?" she echoed his words from a little over a week earlier.

"I want to find out something and you're best suited for helping."

"Oh?" she asked, blowing on her tea, a new flavour that, if Levi was honest, tasted exactly like dried grass.

"I enjoyed being your date and that was just pretending. I wonder, what would a real thing be like?"

She looked down, a shy smile on her face.

"I guess we can find out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems I managed to write a canon-compliant fake dating!AU. Sometimes I ~~scare~~ amaze myself.


	8. Second Take

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last part in this verse started by Chimerical (for now). Follow up to Epiphany. I hint at lots of my headcanons regarding future plotlines.
> 
> Prompt: Earthy

It wouldn't be the first victory celebration Mikasa attended. It wouldn't even be the last, not when she was one of those people who were hailed as heroes. Heroism, Mikasa thought, was a tricky concept. They had done what had needed to be done. The reasons had varied, oft boiling down to the simple need for survival.

People might have lied to themselves afterwards, saying they had done this or that because it had been the right thing to do. Mikasa didn't think that way. She had fought with all she had because she had wanted to protect those she cared about. That was her reason.

Except now the fighting was over. There was no further need to fight anymore and Mikasa felt at a loss at what to do.

Eren and Armin planned to leave. There were things to see in the world now open to them - oceans, mountains, deserts, forests. She could go with them, she would probably enjoy the sights quite a lot, except it didn't feel right.

Mikasa was self-aware enough to know that seeing the world had never been her own dream. That dream belonged to Eren and Armin. She shouldn't live other people's dreams, though. The problem was that she was unsure what it was that she wanted for herself.

"Mikasa?" Sasha asked as she poked her head into the room. "It's time, everyone's waiting for you."

"I'll be right there," Mikasa replied as she tugged at her jacket collar and adjusted her scarf over it.

Sasha had been exaggerating. Mikasa wasn't the last person missing from the gathering. Connie ran down the corridor to join the group at the same time as Mikasa walked up. And Captain Levi was nowhere to be seen at all.

They didn't really have to wait for him. The protocol for that night's celebration was less rigid than usual. They just wanted to attend as a group for possibly the last time. Each of them had places to be after that. The squad would be dismissed soon after, what with all of them either being promoted or leaving the military altogether.

Mikasa had been offered a promotion and she wondered if maybe she should accept. She had become a soldier to stay with Eren and Armin but she was good at it and it was something familiar.

"Shouldn't someone go find the Captain?" Connie asked after he caught his breath.

"He didn't actually say he would come with us," Armin pointed out. "So he might already be there."

"Or maybe he's just thinking and lost track of time," Sasha said with a shrug. "Like Mikasa did."

Armin glanced at her and Mikasa looked away. He had never mentioned their discussion about her feelings for the Captain but she knew him. He was one of her best friends. There had been a couple of times when she had felt like he had wanted to say something to her but he hadn't. Because it had always been up to her to bring it up or to let it go entirely.

"I'm going to get him," she told everyone. "He should be there with us."

The relationship between her and Levi had settled naturally into that of teammates. They got each other in a way the others couldn't comprehend. In the field, they were matched evenly in speed and strength. They had been looked up to by others. The Humanity's Best Soldiers and after the confrontation with the Beast Titan, The Humanity's Ultimate Weapons. In a way, it had been dehumanizing but if that was the price they had had to pay for the continued survival of themselves and their comrades, it was one they were willing to shoulder.

Maybe that was her problem, Mikasa thought. She had been thought of as a weapon, a soldier for so long she didn't know how to be anything else. And Levi was the same, only it had been even longer time for him.

She had chosen to bury her feelings for him for the sake of the mission. She couldn't have afforded distractions back then but that was no longer true. If she was honest with herself - which she tried to be - she hadn't so much buried them as she had just put them aside. And they had kept growing. The near daily contact with him, the desperation of their struggles, the common goals, it had all nurtured them until they were beyond the point where she could stop herself from having them.

Mikasa knew how she felt. She, however, had no idea about Levi's side of things. She knew him enough to know that if she told him and he didn't feel the same, he wouldn't mock her for that. It was yet another decision she needed to make soon.

She knocked at his door and waited. It took him a minute to open it but as he was completely dressed, she thought that Sasha had been right and he had been thinking.

"We're waiting for you," she said simply.

"You shouldn't have," he replied and she didn't imagine the tiredness in his voice. And maybe it was all the thinking she had done recently but she decided that she was done with the evasion.

"We wanted to. But first..."

She stepped closer to him, settling her hands on his cravat.

"May I? It's crooked."

It wasn't but he nodded in aquiescence. She undid the knot, smoothed out the fabric and then started to retie it.

"I feel strange around the others," she said, keeping her eyes on the cravat. "They all know where they are going from here, what their lives are going to be. Me? I can't even decide whether I want to stay in the military or not."

"It's different for us," he said. "Given who we are, what we can do, we had a responsibility for the others. We had to make decisions that would influence many people in a matter of seconds and then we had to deal with the results. Right now, the only ones our decisions will truly impact are ourselves. It's a luxury we didn't have before."

Mikasa tucked the cravat into place and smoothed the lapels on his coat.

"It's scary in a way."

"It is," he agreed. "But it's a good kind of scary."

She smiled at that. Yes, being afraid of a future that was now possible was better than being afraid of not having a future at all.

"Last time you did this," his voice interrupted her thoughts, "You avoided me for several days after. Are you going to do it again?"

She looked up from the cravat and met his eyes. She knew him and he knew her. He got her in a way others couldn't. And he let her retie his cravat for no other reason than because she asked. It was enough for now.

"I don't have a reason to," she replied. "Not anymore."

"Good. That's really good."

The silence that stretched between them was one of those comfortable ones where the unspoken things are louder than any words could be.


End file.
